Method and apparatus to roll up a cable, wire, rope or the like in a ring

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus ( 1 ) for rolling up a cable ( 8 ), wire, rope or the like into a ring ( 38 ). An end part ( 36 ) of the cable ( 8 ) is fixed, by the weight from the rolled-up ring ( 38 ) of cable ( 8 ), between the rolled-up ring ( 38 ) of cable ( 8 ) and a support ( 48 ) on which the rolled-up ring ( 38 ) of cable ( 8 ) is placed. The rolled-up ring ( 38 ) of cable is advanced on the support ( 48 ) with the end part ( 36 ) fixed between the rolled-up ring ( 38 ) of cable ( 8 ) and the support ( 48 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for rolling up a cable, wire,rope or the like into a ring. The invention also relates to an apparatusfor rolling up a cable, wire, rope or the like into a ring.

Cables are supplied in various lengths by being rolled up into a ring.The ring of cable is packed in various types of packagings. A packagingcommonly available on the market is constituted by a thin film packagingmade from reusable plastic. To prevent the ring of cable from naturallyunwinding before it is enclosed by the film packaging, a strap or thelike is bound diametrically around the ring.

Providing the cable rolled up into a ring with a strap arrangeddiametrically around the ring means an increase in the total time forpacking the ring and an increased use of resources, since more materialis required to pack the ring. The strap only constitutes an aid duringthe packing of the cable, but performs no function once the cable hasbeen enclosed by the film packaging.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to eliminate the need for a strap or thelike which is bound diametrically around a cable rolled up into a ringbefore the ring of cable is enclosed by a packaging.

This is achieved by a method of the type stated in the introduction, inwhich an end part of the cable is fixed, by the weight from therolled-up ring of cable, between the rolled-up ring of cable and asupport on which the rolled-up ring of cable is placed, and in which therolled-up ring of cable is advanced on the support with the end partfixed between the rolled-up ring of cable and the support.

The fixing of the end part of the cable between the ring and the supportprevents the ring from unwinding when it is advanced on a support. Thegeometric shape of the ring can thus be maintained until the filmpackaging has enclosed the ring. The consequence of this is that a strapor the like which is bound diametrically around the ring becomessuperfluous.

There are a plurality of apparatuses or machines on the market whichroll up a cable or the like into a ring and pack the ring in apackaging. Since the lengths of cable which are packed are very large intotal and since each packaging with a cable rolled up into a ringcontains a limited length of cable, the number of packed rings is verylarge. It is therefore desirable to minimize the quantity of packingmaterial which is required to pack each ring of rolled-up cable.

Owing to the large length of cable which is packed, it is also desirableto increase the production rate in order thereby to reduce theproduction costs. By reducing the time it takes between a ring havingbeen rolled up to the next ring being rolled up, the number of packedrings per unit of time can be increased. One wish is for the stoppagetime between each commenced rolling-up of the cable to be eliminated, sothat rolling-up and packeting of the cable is continuously ongoing inthe apparatus.

When the cable is to be rolled up into a ring, it can sometimes occurthat the cable end ends up askew, so that this cannot be fixed beforethe rolling-up is to commence. This means that it is not possible toproduce a ring of the cable, thereby giving rise to an often costlyinterruption to the production.

Efforts are also being made to integrate a rolling-up and packingapparatus into the cable-manufacturing method. The insulation materialis applied to the conductor by, for example, extrusion, which isachieved with a relatively fast feed rate for the conductor.

These means that the feed rate of the finished cable is high. In orderto be able to roll up the finished cable directly after manufacture, theroll-up and packing apparatus must operate at essentially the same feedrate as the extrusion apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to reduce the production time spentpacking the cable or the like.

Yet another object is to increase reliability during packaging of cableor the like in order to prevent production stoppage.

Yet another object is to integrate an apparatus for rolling up a cableor the like into a ring with a cable-manufacturing apparatus.

This is achieved by an apparatus of the type stated in the introduction,which comprises a first and second spool head, each provided with anaxially displaceable core, on which spool heads the cable is arranged tobe rolled up, which respective core comprises a gripping device forsecuring the cable and a cutting device for cutting the cable; a cableguide which is movable along an axis and which, in a first end position,directs the cable such that the cable coincides with a line extendingfrom the cable guide to the periphery of a cable rolled up on the secondspool head, the said line extending through a region occupied by theaxial extent of the core of the first spool head, and which, in a secondend position, directs the cable such that the cable coincides with aline extending from the cable guide to the periphery of a cable rolledup on the first spool head, the said line extending through a regionoccupied by the axial extent of the core of the second spool head.

Such an apparatus ensures that the stoppage time between rolling-up oftwo rings of cable is eliminated, which means that the number of packedrings per unit of time increases, thereby reducing the production cost.The feed rate of the cable in the apparatus can also be increased, whichmeans that the apparatus can be integrated with a cable-manufacturingapparatus. The alternate winding of the cable on the first and secondspool head means that there is no cable end which can end up askew atthe commencement of each roll-up operation, which increases reliabilityand eliminates the risk of production stoppage. Using the apparatusaccording to the invention, it is also possible accurately to obtain apredetermined length of the cable wound into a ring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described in greater detail below with referenceto an illustrative embodiment shown in the appended drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an apparatus according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the apparatus in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along the line III—III in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of an apparatus 1 according to the invention.The apparatus 1 comprises a first and second spool head 2 and 4, eachprovided with an axially displaceable core 6. A cable 8 is arranged tobe rolled up onto the core 6 of the respective spool head 2, 4. Eachcore 6 comprises a gripping device 10 for securing the cable 8 and acutting device 12 for cutting the cable 8. The gripping device 10comprises an element which is profiled on the end face 14 of therespective core 6 and the cutting device 12 comprises a knife edgedisposed on the end face 14 of the respective core 6. The respectivecore 6 is an essentially circular cylinder and comprises around itscircumference a plurality of arranged ribs 16, which are radiallydisplaceable with a view to being able to vary the diameter of the core6.

The first and second spool head 2, 4 each comprise an upper and lowerflange 18, 20. The upper flange 18 is axially displaceable together withthe core 6. The upper flange 18 can however be axially fixed, so thatthe core 6 can be axially displaced in relation to the upper flange 18.The respective lower flange 20 is rested upon by the rolled-up cable 8.The lower flange 20 also forms a counter-stay for the gripping andcutting device 10, 12, which will be explained in greater detail below.

The apparatus 1 according to the invention also comprises a cable guide24 which is movable along an axis 22 and which, in a first end position26, directs the cable 8 such that the cable 8 coincides with a line 28extending from the cable guide 24 to the periphery of a cable 8 rolledup on the second spool head 4, the said line 28 extending through aregion occupied by the axial extent of the core 6 of the first spoolhead 2. FIG. 1 shows, for clarification purposes, how the cable guide 24is placed in a first and second end position 26, 30. In the first endposition 26 in FIG. 1, the cable guide 24 is only indicated with dashedlines.

In the second end position 30 of the cable guide 24, the cable guide 24directs the cable 8 in a corresponding manner so that the cable 8coincides with a line 32 extending from the cable guide 24 to theperiphery of a cable 8 rolled up on the first spool head 2, the saidline 32 extending through a region occupied by the axial extent of thecore 6 of the second spool head 4.

The apparatus 1 also comprises a plunger 34, which is arranged todisplace an end part 36 of the cable 8 whenever a ring 38 of cable 8 hasbeen rolled up onto one of the spool heads 2, 4. The cable 8 isdisplaced, so that the level for a section of the extent of the cable 8ends up below a horizontal plane coinciding with the respective lowerflange 20 of the spool head 2, 4. This means that the end part 36 of thecable 8 can be inserted beneath the lower flange 20 after the cable 8has been cut by the cutting device 12. The insertion of the end part 36beneath the flange 20 is carried out using a slide block 40 which isdisplaceable in the apparatus 1.

The apparatus 1 also comprises a conveyor belt 42 which is displaceablein the lateral direction and on which cables 8 rolled up into rings 38are transported from the respective spool head 2, 4 to a packetingapparatus (not shown).

The working of the apparatus 1 and the method for rolling up the cable 8using the apparatus 1 will be explained below.

Cable 8 comes into the apparatus 1 from an extrusion apparatus or amagazine, such as a cable winder (not shown), which houses a largelength of cable 8. The cable 8 runs onward over the cable guide 24,which travels to and fro and comprises two sheaves 44. From the cableguide 24, the cable 8 is guided onward to the spool heads 2, 4. In orderto roll up the cable 8 onto the first spool head 2, the core 6 of thefirst spool head 2 will initially be axially displaced to a distancefrom the lower flange 20 of the first spool head 2. The cable guide 24will preferably be placed from the beginning in its first end position26, which corresponds to the end position shown on the left in FIG. 1.The cable 8 is stretched so that the cable 8 extends along a line 28extending through a region occupied by the axial extent of the core 6 ofthe first spool head 2. In this position, the core 6 of the first spoolhead 2 is guided with force in an axial direction towards the lowerflange 20, so that the cable 8 is gripped between the gripping device 10on the end face 14 of the core 6 and the lower flange 20. At the sametime, the cable 8 is cut by the cutting device 12, which is disposed onthe end face 14 of the core 6. After this, the first spool head 2 ismade to rotate, so that the cable 8 is rolled up onto the core 6 of thefirst spool head 2.

As the cable 8 is being rolled up onto the core 6 of the first spoolhead 2, the cable guide 24 moves in the direction of its second endposition 30. The core 6 of the second spool head 4 is then axiallydisplaced to a distance from the lower flange 20 of the second spoolhead 4, so that the cable 8 can extend along a line 32 which extendsthrough a region occupied by the axial extent of the core 6 of thesecond spool head 4, as is shown in FIG. 1. Once the desired length hasbeen rolled up onto the core 6 of the first spool head 2, the core 6 ofthe second spool head 4 is guided with force in an axial directiontowards the lower flange 20, so that the cable 8 is gripped between thegripping device 10 on the end face 14 of the core 6 and the lower flange20. At the same time, the cable 8 is cut by the cutting device 12, whichis disposed on the end face 14 of the core 6. After this, the secondspool head 4 is made to rotate, so that the cable 8 is rolled up ontothe core 6 of the second spool head 4.

Before or at the same time as the cable 8 is cut by the cutting device12 on the core 6 of the second spool head 4, the plunger 34 is guideddown in the direction of the cable 8 and displaces the cable 8, so thata section of the extent of the cable 8 ends up at a level below ahorizontal plane coinciding with the lower flange 20 of the first spoolhead 2. This is best shown in FIG. 2, which constitutes a simplifiedfront view of the apparatus 1 viewed in the direction of the arrow P inFIG. 1.

Once a section of the cable 8 has been displaced by the plunger 34 andthe cable 8 has been cut by the cutting device 12 on the core 6 of thesecond spool head 4, so that an end part 36 of the cable 8 has beenformed, the end part 36 is guided beneath the lower flange 20 of thefirst spool head 2 with the aid of the displaceable slide block 40,which is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 3 represents a sectional viewalong the line III—III in FIG. 1. The slide block 40 places the end part36 of the cable 8 beneath the lower flange 20 such that the end part 36extends essentially linearly and such that the linear section of the endpart 36 at least partially coincides with a direction of feed for therolled-up ring 38 of cable 8. After this, the core 6 and the upperflange 18 of the first spool head 2 are displaced in the direction awayfrom the lower flange 20, so that the formed ring 38 of cable 8 can befed out from the first side of head 2 with the aid of a feed-outmechanism 46, as is shown in FIG. 3, and placed on the conveyor belt 42,which forms a support 48 for the rolled-up cable 8. The end part 36 ofthe cable 8 is thereby fixed between the rolled-up ring 38 of cable 8and the support 48 on which the rolled-up ring 38 of cable 8 is placedwith the aid of the weight from the rolled-up ring 38 of cable 8. Therolled-up ring 38 of cable 8 is subsequently fed onward by the conveyorbelt 42 to a packeting apparatus (not shown)

As the cable 8 is being rolled up onto the core 6 of the second spoolhead 4 and at the same time as the rolled-up ring 38 of cable 8 is fedout from the first spool head 2, the cable guide 24 moves back in thedirection of its first end position 26. The core of the first spool head2 is then axially displaced to a distance from the lower flange 20 ofthe first spool head 2, so that the cable 8 can extend along a line 28which extends through a region occupied by the axial extent of the core6 of the first spool head 2. Once the desired length has been rolled uponto the core 6 of the first spool head 2, the core 6 of the first spoolhead 2 is guided with force in an axial direction towards the lowerflange 20, so that the cable 8 is gripped between the gripping device 10on the end face 14 of the core 6 and the lower flange 20. At the sametime, the cable 8 is cut by the cutting device 12, which is disposed onthe end face 14 of the core 6. As the cable 8 was being rolled up ontothe core 6 of the second spool head 4, the conveyor belt 42 wasdisplaced in the lateral direction and placed in front of the secondspool head 4.

Before or at the same time as the cable 8 is cut by the cutting device12 on the core 6 of the first spool head 2, the plunger 34 is guideddown in the direction of the cable 8 and displaces the cable 8, so thatthe slide block 40 can guide the end part 36 of the cable 8 beneath thelower flange 20 of the first spool head 2. At the same time, the cable 8is begun to be rolled up onto the second spool head 4, as has beendescribed above, so that alternate rolling-up of the cable 8 is achievedin the apparatus 1 according to the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. Method for rolling up a cable, wire, or ropehaving a starting end and a terminating end into a ring, comprising thesteps of: fixing the terminating end of the cable, using the weight ofthe rolled-up ring of cable, between the rolled-up ring of cable and asupport on which the rolled-up ring of cable is placed, and advancingthe rolled-up ring of cable in relation to the support with theterminating end fixed between the rolled-up ring of cable and thesupport.
 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the terminating end isplaced between the rolled-up ring of cable and the support such that theterminating end extends essentially linearly and such that the linearsection of the terminating end at least partially coincides with adirection of feed for the rolled-up ring of cable.
 3. Method accordingto claim 2, wherein the rolled-up ring of cable is advanced on thesupport in a direction which essentially coincides with the linearsection of the terminating end.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1further comprising the steps of rolling the cable about a core and thenremoving the rolled-up cable from the core when placing the rolled-upcable on the support.
 5. Apparatus for rolling up a cable, wire, orrope, into a ring, comprising: a first and second spool head, eachprovided with a core that is axially displaceable with respect to thecable, on which spool heads the cable is arranged to be rolled up, eachrespective core comprises a gripping device for securing the cable and acutting device for cutting the cable; and a cable guide which is movablealong an axis and which, in a first end position, directs the cable suchthat the cable essentially coincides with a first line extending fromthe cable guide to the periphery of the cable rolled up on the secondspool head, said first line extending through a region occupied by theaxial extent of the core of the first spool head, and which, in a secondend position, directs the cable such that the cable essentiallycoincides with a second line extending from the cable guide to theperiphery of the cable rolled up onto the first spool head, said secondline extending through a region occupied by the axial extent of the coreof the second spool head.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, whereineach respective core is an essentially circular cylinder and thegripping device comprises an element which is profiled on an end face ofthe respective core and the cutting device comprises a knife edgedisposed on the end face of the respective core.
 7. Apparatus accordingto claim 5, characterized in that the respective core (6) comprises aplurality of ribs (16) arranged around the circumference of the core(6).
 8. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that a plunger(34) is arranged to displace an end part (36) of the cable (8). 9.Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that a displaceableslide block (40) is arranged to displace the end part (36) of the cable(8) onto the bottom side of a flange (20) of the spool head (2, 4), onwhich flange (20) the rolled-up cable (8) rests.
 10. Apparatus accordingto claim 5, characterized in that a feed-out mechanism (46) is arrangedto advance the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8) such that an end part(36) of the cable (8) is fixed, by the weight from the rolled-up ring(38) of cable (8), between the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8) and asupport (48) on which the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8) is placed.11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the end part(36) is placed between the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8) and thesupport (48) such that the end part (36) extends essentially linearlyand such that the linear section of the end part (36) at least partiallycoincides with a direction of feed for the rolled-up ring (38) of cable(8).
 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that thefeed-out mechanism (46) feeds out the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8)such that the ring (38) is advanced on the support (48) in a directionwhich essentially coincides with the linear section of the end part(36).
 13. Apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that thefeed-out mechanism (46) feeds out the rolled-up ring (38) of cable (8)such that the ring (38) is advanced on the support (48) in a directionwhich essentially coincides with the linear section of the end part(36).
 14. An apparatus for rolling up a cable, wire or rope into a ring,comprising: a spool head, said cable being wound around said spool head;a gripping device for gripping a first end of the cable, before thecable is wound around the spool head; a cutting device for cutting asecond end of the cable, after the cable is wound around the spool head;and a displacement device to displace said second end of the cable withrespect to the spool head.
 15. The apparatus according to claim 14,further comprising a displaceable slide block to displace the second endof the cable onto a bottom side of a flange of the spool head.
 16. Theapparatus according to 14, further comprising a feed-out mechanism toadvance a rolled-up ring of cable so that said second end of the cableis fixed between the rolled-up ring of cable and a support on which therolled-up ring of cable is placed using the weight of the rolled-up ringof cable.
 17. The apparatus according to 16, wherein the spool headfurther comprises a core that is axially displaceable with respect tothe rolled-up ring of cable.